Oronasal mask



I zmswa Feb. 18,; 194?. E. RAINDQALL ORONASAL MASK Filed Oct. 23. 1944 v INVENTOR. Fpg/vc/s f. /4/v0,4z L

Patented Feb. 18, 1947 STATES Tar QFFICE 1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to oronasal masks adapted particularly for supplying oxygen or other gas to a person for the purpose of facilitating natural respiration and for producing artificial respira tion. Such masks are commonly employed for supplying oxygen to aviators when flying at high altitudes and masks of this general type also have clinical use in hospitals for the treatment of patients by oxygen therapy, etc.

For the proper operation of oronasal masks of this type for supplying oxygen to a person for respiration, it is highly important that the mask fit the face properly so that a tight sealing engagement of the mask with the user's face is effected in order to eliminate the wastage of oxygen and leakage of air from the outside. One difficulty encountered with oronasal masks heretofore used is the lack of proper sealing engagement of the mask with the face of the wearer. One phase of this diiiicu'lty in connection with masks heretofore in use involves the fact that the face engaging portion of the mask tendsto spread outwardly as the mask is pushed onto the face of the wearer so that it is necessary to rely largely upon the tension of the head straps to pull the marginal edges of the mask into sealing engagement with the wearers face.

A primary object of the present invention, therefore. is to provide a construction of oronasal mask which tends to seal tightly to the face of the wearer as it is applied thereto.

A further object is to provide an oronasal mask wherein the marginal portion of the mark does not tend to spread outwardly as the mask is pushed onto the wearers face.

Another object is to provide an oronasal mask having a face-engaging portion which tends to roll inwardly due to frictional engagement with the wearers face as the mask is applied thereto.

Incidental to the foregoing objects it is a further object of the invention to provide an oronasal mask in which the construction of the marginal portion is such that when the mask is applied to the face of the wearer, the stress, due to such application, is applied to the wearers face from the mask through the marginal portion thereof along lines passing through the wearers head.

A further object is to provide an oronasal mask having a face engaging flap element extending from the marginal portion of the mask inwardly thereof and composed of elastic material that is relatively more pliable than the body portion of the mask.

Another object is to provide an oronasal mask having a semirigid elastic body, the construction of the marginal portion of which is such that the stress, due to application of the mask to the wearers face, is applied thereto through the marginal portion of the mask along lines passing through the wearers head, in conjunction with a face engaging flap extending from the marginal portion of the mask and composed of elastic material that is relatively more pliable than the body portion of the mask, whereby said flap portion will tend to roll inwardly in engagement with the wearers face as the mask is applied thereto.

A'further object is to provide means for supporting the face engaging flap crosswise of the mask.

Another object is to provide an oronasal mask providing better sealing engagement in the region of the wearers nose.

In carrying the invention into practice I provide an oronasal mask comprising a semirigid elastic body forming an open sided chamber adapted to receive the nose and mouth of the wearer, said body having an inwardly rounded marginal portion, the configuration of said marginal portion being such that, when the mask is applied to the face of the wearer with the nose and mouth of the latter disposed within said chamber, the stress, due to application of the mask to the wearers face, is applied to the wearers face from said body through the marginal portion thereof along lines leading from said marginal portion and passing through the wearers head. Further. the configuration of said marginal portion is such that stresses, applied to the wearers face from points on the marginal portion at opposite sides of the mask are applied to the wearers face along convergent lines extending from said points and passing through the Wearers head.

vI further provide a marginal face engaging flap portion composed of relatively more pliable elastic material than said body portion, said flap portion extending from the marginal portion of said body inwardly thereof. The body portion of the mask is preferably formed of rubher or like material having a sumcient rigidity or stifiness to retain its shape when pushed onto the wearers face yet being sufiiciently pliable to enable said body portion to yield slightly so as to conform to different facial contours. The flap portion of the is preferably composed of rubber or like material similar to that composing vention the body portion of the mask is made relatively thicker and stiifer at the marginal portion thereof, particularly in the region at which the face-engaging flap portion of the mask is joined thereto. The flap portion of the mask is preferably formed with a rolled marginal portion adjacent the region thereof at which the flap is joined to the body portion of the mask.

Other objects, advantages, and features of novelty will become apparent as the description of the invention proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a plan view of an oronasal mask embodying the invention looking toward the rear side thereof or the side which is positioned toward the face of the wearer when in use.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Now referring to the drawing, the oxygen mask of the invention comprises a semirigid elastic or resilient shell or body II which may be molded out of rubber or other suitable material having the requisite characteristics of pliability as well as of firmness or semirigidity. The semirigid elastic body or shell I I forms an open-sided chamber III, the shape of which gives rise to the use of the term shell and this chamber III is adapted to receive the nose and mouth of a wearer when the mask is properly disposed on the wearers face. The shell or body H is formed with an inwardly rolled or rounded marginal portion Ila, the configuration of which is such that, when the mask is applied to the face of the wearer so that the nose and mouth of the wearer are received within the chamber II], the stress, produced at said marginal portion IIa when the mask is pressed onto the wearers face, is applied to the wearers face from said body II through the marginal portion I Ia along lines indicated by the numerals l2 and I 2a in Figures 3 and 4, leading from said marginal portion Na and passing through the wearers head.

The mask further comprises a face-engaging flap portion, generally indicated by numeral I3, and extending from the marginal portion I In. of the body II with the free edge HI of the flap element I3 disposed inwardly of the chamber III formed by the body II. The flap element I3 is composed of yieldable elastic resilient material similar to that of the body II but is relatively more pliable and less shape retaining than the bodyI I. The flap element I3 may, therefore, be composed of rubber or other suitable material having the requisite pliability so as to readily produce frictional engagement with the face of the wearer and readily conform with minor variations in facial contour. The flap element I3 comprises a relatively wide face-engaging portion I5 and is rolled or rounded as indicated at I6 to provide a somewhat angular flap portion ll adjacent 4 the juncture of the flap I3 with the rounded marginal portion Ila of the body or shell II.

The formation of the flap I3 with the angularly disposed portion I1 is designed to provide a 5 certain degree of free movement of the flap I3 relative to the body or shell II so that the flap I3 is permitted to roll inwardly upon engagement of the face of the wearer with the relatively wide face-engaging portion I5 thereof as the mask is pushed onto the wearers face in use.

It will be noted upon reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that the inwardly rolled marginal portion IIa is considerably thicker than the flap I3 extending therefrom to insure that the marginal portion [Ia is stiffer and less pliable than the flap portion I3.

In practice the entire mask including the main shell or body II and the flap portion I3 may be molded integrally of the same material such as rubber or the like or the flap I3 may be made separate from the body I l and said flap I3 subsequently joined to the rounded marginal portion I Id of the body I I in any suitable manner. In any event, suitable provision will be made for making the entire shell or body I I of sufiicient stiffness to provide a certain degree of rigidity of the entire body II such that it will retain substantially the shape indicated in the drawings under the pressure of pushing the mask onto the face of the wearer and yet will be sufiiciently pliable to enable the mask to conform to different facial contours. On the other hand, the flap element I3, while composed of similar elastic material to that of the body II, is much more pliable or yieldabl 35 than the body II so that the flap element I3 is readily movable or flexible relative to the body II "and so that the flap portion I3 may far more readily conform to minor variations in facial contour.

The flap element I3 is supported crosswise of the mask by means of an integrally formed web element I8. The flap element I3 is also formed with a bulged or depressed portion IS at the area which is intended to bridge the nose of the wearer of the mask and depressed or bulged toward the interior wall I Ib of the body I I.

The construction of the mask as above described is such that in use the mask is applied to the face of the wearer so that the face-engaging flap portion I5 of the flap I3 engages the wearers face, indicated by lines 29 in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the wearers nose and mouth are disposed within chamber IG formed by the body II. As the mask is pushed onto the wearers face, the frictional contact of the face-engaging portion I5 of the flap I3 with the wearers face tends to cause the flap portion I3 as a whole to roll inwardly so that even a portion of the angular part ll of the flap may be engaged with the wearers face, causing tight sealing engagement of the flap IS with the wearer face. This action is due in part to the stiffness of the mask shell or body I I and the rounded contour of the mar- 65 ginal portion Ila, the configuration of which is such that the stress, due to application of the mask to the wearers face, is applied to the wearers face from the body II through the marginal portion Ila along lines leading therefrom and 70 passing through the wearers head.

It will also be noted that the stresses, due to application of the mask to the wearers face, applied thereto from the body i I through points on the marginal portion He at opposite sides of the 75 mask, are applied to the wearers face along convergent lines l2 and I20, leading from said points and passing through the wearers head.

The construction of the body H enables the mask to be pushed onto the face of the wearer without spreading of the rounded marginal portion I! a of the body I I outwardly away from the face of the wearer.

The inwardly rolling action of the flap element is as the mask is pushed ontothe face of the wearer assists in the adjustment of the mask to different facial contours with resultant tight sealing facial engagement so that a given size of mask is adaptable to a wider range of facial sizes and contours than would otherwisebe the case. The relative stiffness or semi-rigidity of the mask shell or body i i is of itself largely sufficient to prevent lateral spreading of the inwardly rolled marginal portion Ha as the mask is pushed onto the face of the wearer but the cross web l8 further assists this result. Primarily, however, the function of the cross web i8 is to maintain the relatively yieldable flap element I3 in proper position so that the face-engaging portion [5 thereof will properly frictionally engage the face of the wearer.

It will be understood that the mask has an intake conduit 2| leading to the interior of the chamber In through the body ll, said body having in its front wall a pocket 22 which has an exhaust passage 23 descending therefrom. The intake passage and the exhaust pocket and passage will be provided with suitable valves (not shown).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An oronasal mask comprising a semirigid elastic body forming an open sided chamber adapted to receive the nose and mouth of the wearer, said body having an inwardly rounded and inwardly 6 convergent marginal portion, the configuration and rigidity of said marginal portion being such that, when the mask is applied to the face of the wearer, with the nose and mouth of the latter disposed within said chamber, the stress, due to application of the mask to the wearers face, is applied to the wearers face from said body through said marginal portion thereof along converging lines leading from said marginal portion and passing through the wearer's head, a faceengaging flap element extending from the marginal portion of said body with the free edge of said flap element positioned within said chamber and including an upper inwardly bulged portion adapted to fit over and span the bridge of the nose of the wearer, said flap element being composed of elastic material and relatively more pliable than said body portion, and a web portion formed integral with said flap element and extending substantially straight across the mask between the opposite portions of the free edge of said face-engaging flap element and being attached at its ends only to said flap element.

FRANCIS EUGENE RANDALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

2,336,979 Boothby et al Dec, 14, 194-3 2,290,885 Lehmberg July 28, 1942 2,166,164 Lehmberg July 18, 1939 2,403,046 Bulbulian July 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 309,770 British Apr. 18, 1927 

